LONDON: Three leading universities in the United Kingdom have agreed to offer tuition fee discounts of between 10 and 20 percent for students sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), said its chairman, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
He said the discounts, secured through discussions between MARA and the universities’ top management, could save more than RM100,000 per student annually.
The three institutions are Warwick University and Birmingham University, which have agreed to a 20 percent discount, while the University of Edinburgh is offering 10 percent.
“To illustrate, Warwick University is offering a discount of up to £6,000 a year. For a typical three-year undergraduate programme, that amounts to £18,000, around RM110,000 in total, significantly reducing the cost,” he said at a press conference today.
Asyraf Wajdi is currently in the UK for strategic meetings with senior leadership and renowned senior academics at the University of Cambridge, as well as several other universities.
He said there are currently 1,508 MARA-sponsored students pursuing their studies in the UK.
He added that the Cambridge University Trust has expressed interest in collaborating with MARA through a co-funding arrangement for postgraduate research students at the Master’s and PhD levels.
“Insya-Allah, if all terms are finalised, MARA could save up to RM5 million through this initiative,” he said.
He described the partnership as part of MARA’s strategic agenda to ensure Malaysian students are not only competitive on a national level but also on par with their global peers in academic and professional arenas.
In addition, he said Cambridge University has also agreed to send a delegation to Malaysia to engage with Maktab Rendah Sains MARA International General Certificate of Secondary Education (MRSM IGCSE).
He said the initiative aligns with MARA’s decision to establish a dedicated academic feeder pathway for MRSM students to gain entry into top global universities.
Asyraf Wajdi added that the collaboration would also open doors for 9,987 MARA educators across its vocational colleges, MARA universities, and MRSMs to participate in knowledge exchange programmes.
“These educators will have opportunities for joint research and to pursue postgraduate studies in strategic fields at Cambridge.
“These include renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), social sciences, quantum technology, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), entrepreneurial innovation and other emerging disciplines that will shape the future global economy,” he said.
